Head of the UGCC awards missionaries from Portugal and Russia

The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, granted a protopresbyter cross to the Director of the Migrant Service of the Portugal Bishop’s Conference (Obra Católica Portuguesa de Migrações), Fr. Francisco Sales, and a letter of gratitude to Fr. Ivan Kovba – a priest of Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy who has served for many years in Russian Federation.

The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, granted a protopresbyter cross to the Director of the Migrant Service of the Portugal Bishop’s Conference (Obra Católica Portuguesa de Migrações), Fr. Francisco Sales, and a letter of gratitude to Fr. Ivan Kovba – a priest of Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy who has served for many years in Russian Federation.
On 2 August, the missionary from Portugal received a protopresbyter cross from the hands of His Beatitude Lubomyr – Major Archbishop-retired. Fr. Sales has been providing a lot of assistance to Greek Catholic priests in Portugal. In particular, he has helped to ensure the appointment of a Greek Catholic Coordinator in Portugal and helped to find church buildings for Greek Catholics to serve liturgies in. The missionary came to Ukraine to participate in a spiritual and informative seminar “Theoretical-practical spirituality of the UGCC within the Universal Church.”
“This decree means that the leadership of the UGCC knows about our help to Greek Catholic priests in their service to migrants. Actually, we belong to the same Christ’s Church even though the ways of our service differ,” - commented the missionary on the award.
On 5 August in Sambir, Bishop Yosyf Milian presented a letter of gratitude to a missionary from Russia, Fr. Ivan Kovba, on the occasion of the completion of his 8-year missionary work in Surgut. Upon his return to Ukraine, Fr. Ivan will serve as a parish priest of the church of the Holy Mother of God in Sambir.
UGCC Information Department